Summer fashions

June 2, 2012

The warm weather and sunny days have brought not only green grass and blooming flowers, but also new fashion trends.

In fact, the trend now is to wear colors just as bright as the blooms.

"Color blocking has been a great summer trend," noted Teri Ann Pfeffer, owner of Teri Ann's on Front Street in Marietta. "The color blocking can be done in pieces or in one piece with multiple colors in blocks."

Article Photos

ASHLEY RITTENHOUSE The Marietta TimesChelsea Thompson, of Marietta, models a coral jacket with an animal print belt. Coral is a popular color for summer, and adding a touch of animal print is also trendy.

According to InStyle magazine, bright day dresses are popular this season, especially those that are primary colors like green, yellow, red and blue. Dresses that are these colors should be accessorized with natural shades like saddle and wheat, the magazine says, and they should be worn with nude shoes rather than darker hues.

Fact Box

Bright day dresses in primary colors like green, yellow, red and blue. They should be accessorized with natural shades like saddle and wheat. Nude shoes should be worn rather than darker hues.

Nature prints such as landscapes, forests, jungles, aviaries, horizons and overgrown gardens. Wear minimal jewelry and keep hair pinned close to the head.

Dresses, jackets and tops with ruffles, florals and lace. Necklaces and intense makeup are not needed.

Source: www.instyle.com

Maxi dresses are long and flowing while a tunic dress is typically knee length or shorter.

Deanna Flesher, assistant manger at Peebles on Pike Street in Marietta, said flip-flop dresses and belted dresses are popular for summer.

"Flip-flop dresses are strapless or have little straps and they hit at the knee or the ankle," Flesher said. "The belted dresses, a lot of them are knits and they have belts that come around the mid-sections."

Flesher added that wedge sandals are also a popular summer trend as well as tank tops with diamond studs and butterfly wing shirts.

"Every brand is coming in with that style shirt," she said of the butterfly top. "It has the extra (material) that hangs on the side and it's so flattering on any shape. They're just really cute."

As for bottoms, Pfeffer said colored skinny jeans and colored jeggings (jean leggings) are a hot trend for summer.

Although skinny jeans and jeggings are both narrow at the bottom, jeggings are more form fitting, she noted.

"The skinny jean or jegging in color is huge for now, continuing into the fall," Pfeffer said.

Pfeffer added that any shade in the coral family is popular for summer. Flesher said she has noticed that blue, green and yellow are popular colors.

For those who want to be a little bold and wear something other than a solid color, there are certain prints that are popular for summer.

Nature prints are in, according to InStyle, as well as bold graphics. Popular prints include those that look like forests, jungles and overgrown gardens.

The magazine suggests that nature prints be worn with minimal jewelry and hair pinned close to the head.

Pfeffer noted that it's also popular this season to add touches of animal print in, for example, a belt.

"Animal touches are always hot," she said. "This is a great time for an animal touch."

Pfeffer said tops and dresses with cut-out shoulders as well as open weave tops are popular for summer.

"We're still selling scarves," she added. "I don't know I'd call it as much an accessory as part of the wardrobe."